BHO may not be the safest way to obtain your extracts but no matter how many times someone gets hurt, people are still going to get extracts by using BHO. Which is fine. But it's important to remember to be safe. If you're getting in to making extracts, there are precautions. The following suggestions are here to help you make BHO safely and effectively, allowing you to get stoned and avoid a trip to the emergency room.

1. Do not make BHO indoors. This is extremely unsafe. Butane gives off gas, which can fill a small space very quickly. One spark can set off an explosion, which can be made worse by other contained butane within the confines of the room. BHO should absolutely always be made outside, where there is proper ventilation. The only acceptation to this rule is if you're a scientist in a lab under the perfect conditions. Which most of you aren't. Run your BHO outside.

2. It's said that the best tools to use to produce BHO should be made from borosilicate, more commonly known as Pyrex. All other materials come with risks and health hazards, although it is up to you to decide what you use. Just be aware that anything other than Pyrex has potential negative effects on the end result of the run or on your safety.

3. Wear a mask... A heavy duty one. Fumes and other materials can get in to your lungs and do some serious damage. It's recommended that you wear a gas mask, rather than the usual painters mask that most people deem okay. Fumes can get through those, seeing as how they're cheaply made. You need to be wearing a mask that can prevent the fumes from entering your lungs.

4. Don't let someone give you bunk BHO, filled with butane. This end chemical trash can cause extreme headaches, among other issues. There are ways to test and make sure that your BHO is safe. If you're about to take a dab and the oil sizzles and crackles when it touches the heated nail, there is still butane trapped in the oil. Another way to test the quality is to put a small amount of oil on a dabber and hold a lighter close to it. If properly purged, the oil should turn liquid. Be sure to put something below to catch the liquid. Again, any extreme crackling, strange fizzing noises, and obnoxious sizzling are warning signs and you should be careful about smoking the BHO.

5. Always ALWAYS wear some sort of goggles or glasses. If something goes wrong, you need to protect your eyes. The horror stories of people getting plant material and butane fumes under their eyelids are disgusting. Trust me, you do not want to get caught without glasses on. Your eyes will thank you later, trust me.

Show-Me Cannabis and Missouri NORML will be hosting a statewide conference in downtown Kansas City, on Saturday, November 16th. The one-day conference will include speakers presenting on local and national efforts to create more just and sensible marijuana policies, including a possible Missouri ballot initiative in 2014 or 2016.

Speakers will include Neill Franklin, Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition; Alison Holcomb, Criminal Justice Director of the ACLU-Washington; Dan Rush, Director of Cannabis Workers Rising of North America of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW); as well as the Show-Me Cannabis board of directors and other local experts.

The conference will take place at EventPort 208 in the Crossroads Arts District, and an evening fundraiser will follow nearby.